How Social Media has

Changed Self Image

Photo Credit: Stuart Black (Flickr)

By Lindley Kenny

The

‘selfie’

Source: Christine Erickson, The Social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo credit: davitydave (Flickr)

‚I hear that word

imagining Myspace-

style angles, duck

faces, peace signs and

dirty mirrors‛- Christine

“Selfie-taking a photo of oneself, usually with the intention to post on social media”

-Jillian McHugh

Source: Jillian McHugh, ‘Selfies' just as much for the insecure as show-offsPhoto Credit: so_jerzz (Flickr)

Photo sharing sites such as Facebook,

Instagram, and Tumblr

are filled with

‘selfies’

Source: Christine Erikson, The Social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo credit: James Cheuck (Flickr)

“Some upload entire albums to Facebook of their

Macbook photo sessions.

Others take

filtered pictures of

what they wore that day,

or caption a close-up

with mild to severe

self-depreciation”

-Christine Erickson

Source: Christine Erickson, The social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo Credit: Trenton Hart (Flickr)

‚How many photos have you taken of

yourself with your phone or

webcam, and how many of these would

you actually post online?‛-Christine ERickson

Source: Christine Erickson, The social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo Credit: Kate Fisher (Flickr)

“How we see ourselves in the mirror versus a regular photo is different. The mirror shows a reverse view, but also shows you alive and with movement.”

-Christine Erikson

Source: Christine Erickson,

The social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo Credit: Mads Boedker (Flickr)

The mirror presents a more attractive view of ones self image in

comparison to a photo due to movement and life, which

overcomes flaws, but yet why do individuals still feel the need to

post selfies?

Photo Credit: angrylambie1 (Flickr)

Source: Christine Erickson, The social Psychology of the Selfie

The main reason for an

individual to post a

self-image on social media

is due to:

loneliness and desperation

for attention.

Photo Credit: Tanya Little (Flickr)

Source: Carys Mills, ‘Facebook fatigue’ and the aging social

network

‘we rely on others perceptions, judgements, and

appraisals to develop our social self’-Christine Erickson

Source: Christine Erickson,

The social Psychology of the Selfie

Photo Credit: Jon Smith (Flickr)

The profile picture itself puts the individual in control of their own self image

Photo Credit:

Michael Brashier (Flickr)

The individual is able to choose which way they want peopleto perceive them.

Photo Credit: Jlhopgood (Flickr)

Technology has allowed us to manipulate photos to create a more

‘likeable’ self imageSource: Christine Erickson,

The social Psychology of the Selfie

Photocredit: StevenErat (Flickr)

“Filters make any photo look more appealing than what the image actually looks like, let alone

what the naked eye would‟ve seen”-Christine Erickson

Source: Christine Erickson,The social Psychology of the SelfiePhoto Credit: macbosse (Flickr)

Individuals are looking

towards social media sites

for instant gratification

Source: Carys Mills, ‘Facebook fatigue’ and the aging social network, Photo Credit: Master OSM 2011

“Studies have shown that the comments on your

facebook profile pictures strongly affect

Photo Credit: Fadid Habib

your level of perceived physical, social and professional attractiveness”

-Christine Erickson

Source: Christine Erickson,

The social Psychology of the Selfie

As humans we are constantly

looking for reassurance and we

want people to say positive

things about us

Photo Credit: Rachel Carter

(Flickr)

Source: Carys Mills, ‘Facebook fatigue’ and the aging social network

“The selfie is

narcissiticbut only in the sense its

showing something of

yourself”

-Carys Mills

Source: Source: Carys Mills, ‘Facebook fatigue’ and the aging social network

Photo Credit: Wesley Fryer (Flickr)

“As our news feeds fill up with photos on Facebook and Instagram it does

normalize this idea of self-presentation”-Dr. Leaver

Source: Carys Mills, „Facebook fatigue‟ and the aging social network

Photo Credit: Mixy Lorenzo

By posting a selfie, the individual is seeking attention and appraisal from peers, to feel as though they have a

‘likeable’ self image in order to achieve self worth

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee (Flilckr)

But if our self image on social media is not an

accurate representation

of who we are, we are thus

degrading our true sense of self.

Photo Credit: Boris Mann (Flickr)

CreditsAll images are licensed under the

Creative Commons

Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0

Agreement and sourced by Flickr

Photo Credit: Nick Perla

Sources

• http://mashable.com/2013/02/15/social-media-and-the-selfie/• http://www.policymic.com/articles/32141/in-defense-of-the-selfie• http://www.watoday.com.au/business/media-and-

marketing/selfies-just-as-much-for-the-insecure-as-showoffs-20130403-2h6ow.html

• http://www.thelifefiles.com/2013/04/05/here-is-the-psychology-behind-the-selfie/

• http://icybersafe.com/2013/04/14/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-the-selfie-and-the-psychological-impact-on-our-teens/

• http://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2013/04/05/facebook_fatigue_and_the_aging_social_network.html

Photo Credit: ExpressionPostHummus